LOWER PROVIDENCE — With an investigation into the fire and its cause ongoing, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross continues to assist the family of four displaced by Thursday’s fire.

A release through Lower Providence Township said “extensive damage” was caused to the two-story home Thursday evening and the family was still receiving assistance from the Red Cross for temporary housing and food.

No cause of the fire was named for the home on the 2200 block of Hildebidle Drive, but the Montgomery County Detective Bureau as well as fire marshals from Lower Providence and state police are investigating.

Dave Schrader, a spokesman for the Red Cross, said the organization provided money for the family to get shoes, clothes and lodging Thursday night.

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Firefighters from at least eight separate companies responded to the scene. Smoke billowing from the property could be seen for miles, as far away as the Phoenixville/Collegeville exit on Route 422.

Their father got out of the home but re-entered briefly in an attempt to save caged family pets.

All three were transported to Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, according to officials. The family’s wife and mother was at work when the fire began and eventually met her family at the hospital, where the Red Cross sent a representative.

The extent of their injuries was unknown, but Denise Walsh, the community relation coordinator for Lower Providence, said the father’s hospitalization wasn’t directly caused by the fire but related to previous medical issues.

About the Author

Frank Otto is a general assignment reporter covering Phoenixville, Limerick and Spring-Ford schools in addition to features and spot news. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Otto moonlights with the sports department on occasion. Reach the author at fotto@pottsmerc.com
or follow Frank on Twitter: @fottojourno.